BELGIAN MEP Philippe Lamberts warned Britain the European Union could agree to extend the Brexit deadline but admitted the length of the extra negotiating period would not be substantial.

The British Parliament on Wednesday voted to take a no deal Brexit scenario off the table despite warning from Brexiteers claiming the decision would deprive the UK of negotiating power over the European Union. MPs are expected to vote again on Thursday to give Theresa May a mandate to seek an extension of the March 29 deadline. But Belgian MEP Philippe Lamberts warned Theresa May the EU might agree to give the UK little extra time to come up with an alternative solution to the divorce deal MPs rejected earlier this week.

Brexit news: Lamberts warned the EU could grant only one month of extension if no plan is presented (Image: EUROPARL TV•PARLIAMENT TV)

Mr Lamberts added: "Use that one month to devise a plan and when you have that plan you come back to Brussels, and we will discuss a further extension depending on what the plan is."

MPs on Thursday evening will be asked to vote on a motion tabled by Theresa May which would authorise her to seek an extension of the two-year Article 50 negotiations, delaying Brexit past March 29.

Mrs May’s motion says that if the House of Commons has approved her withdrawal agreement and the framework for the future UK/EU relationship by March 20, she will seek a one-off extension until June 30 to allow time for the necessary legislation to be passed.

However, top Eurocrats have demanded the British Government justify their potential extension request by outlining how they plan to use the additional time.

DUP leader Arlene Foster urged the UK to "hold its nerve" to strike a withdrawal agreement with Brussels that works for Northern Ireland.

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Ms Foster also said she wanted Northern Ireland's regional assembly to have a "meaningful say" on.

She told BBC Northern Ireland: "What people need to do is hold their nerve and to look for a deal that works for the whole of the United Kingdom.

The DUP leader stressed Northern Ireland must remain "constitutionally and economically" within the United Kingdom.

The Prime Minister has held talks with the unionist party following the vote and is scheduled to meet with representatives of the European Research Group (ERG) chaired by Jacob Rees-Mogg.

The ERG is a eurosceptic organisation founded in 1993 over concern of growing integration of Britain into the EU following the Maastricht Treaty and has long campaigned for the UK's withdrawal from the bloc.

A senior Tory Brexiteer told The Times: "I think what is being discussed could be enough to reassure the Democratic Unionist Party that there is a unilateral way out of the backstop.

"If the DUP were content with the deal then significant numbers of the ERG will go where the DUP go."